Jordan Lynch, the popular super-middle whose many outside interests include a professional dog-walking business, was shockingly mauled within two minutes at Aston Villa’s Holte Suite.

To add salt to the wounds, Lynch’s conqueror, serial loser Lewis van Poetsch, entered the ring with “Poochi” emblazoned on his trunks.

Dubbed one to watch, the Four Oaks southpaw’s stunning loss provided Tommy Owens’ quality Saturday night dinner show with the first of two big upsets. The other was the draw shared by Lichfield’s super-fly Brad Foster, the teenage wonderkid of domestic boxing, and Brett Fidoe, who sports an unflattering 7-38-3 record.

The former unbeaten white-collar boxing star drove home withering straight lefts to van Poetsch’s fleshy midriff and seemed set for a comfortable – and early – night’s work before his Sussex opponent (12st 4lbs) tore up the script with a perfectly-timed right-hand counter.

Lynch dropped to the canvas as if shot and, his senses scrambled, showed inexperience to clamber immediately off the floor. Jordan reeled, like a drunk on black ice, into a neutral corner and swayed in the pocket like a willow in the wind.

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I felt referee Shaun Messer could, and should, have stopped it there and then. But, after an eight count, the local favourite was allowed to continue, only to be dropped heavily by a three-punch combination.

Again, Lynch rose on legs that betrayed him and, after a long look into the 27-year-old’s glassy eyes, Messer halted the scheduled four-rounder at 1min 58secs of the opener.

Brad Foster had to settle for a draw with Brett Fidoe (Image: Dexter Hastings of BBcolumn.com)

And he informed fans on Facebook: “Got caught with a good shot and that’s all it takes in this sport. Got up and was out on my feet, gave it my all and that’s all I can say! I will be back, want to apologise to everyone who spent their hard-earned money to come and support me. Sorry, I let you down.”

The 29-year-old’s clash with William Warburton had the capability of being a banana skin on the road to bigger things: the journeyman has an unflattering 23-116-9 record, but retains the pride and grit to pull off upsets. He spoiled the debut of Birmingham’s Ikram Hussain and, in a major shock, outpointed contender Jason Welborn.

Birmingham’s Cunningham, now billed out of Oldbury, never allowed the dangerman to get close enough to become ambitious, romping to a 60-56 decision.

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Craig (11st, 5lbs, 7oz) dictated behind a stiff southpaw jab and rattled home left hands to the ribs.

It was a contest that failed to catch fire, but Cunningham did what he had to. He used skill, rather than savagery, to subdue the Alfreton 30-year-old.

Warburton (11st, 3lbs, 9oz) backed up, peering through a tight, peek-a-boo guard and showed more ambition down the stretch. In fact, a flurry of punches earned him the final session on my card.

Afterwards, Cunningham spoke of the frustrating search for a significant title fight. “I only want the big fights,” he said. “It’s hard getting ‘up’ for contests like this and you can switch off during them. I knew I couldn’t overlook him.

“I just want big shots. How about a Commonwealth title fight at either light-middle or middle or defending the WBC international belt abroad? They are the fights I want.”

Nuneaton’s Kelcie Ball, a middle with a large, noisy fanbase, dominated his four-rounder against Kieron Gray – to the delight of his supporters.

Gray, now beaten in his last 26 contests, covered up on the ropes and invited unbeaten Ball (6-0) to engage in the vain hope of landing a telling counter.

Ball, aged 25, simply chugged forward and punished his taller opponent’s head and body. Gray (8-64-2) landed with the odd cuffing shot, but simply could not cope with his tormentor’s churning fists and ambition.

In each session, Ball (11st 5lbs) pinned his Telford opponent against the strands and whaled away for a 40-36 decision.

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But Little’s hooks began to find their mark in the third and Ellis was clearly stung by a right. Ishmael, in full retreat, nearly fell from the ring as he ducked and dived on the ropes.

Ellis (10st, 10lbs), a smudge of blood under his nose, was bullied throughout the final session and clearly felt a right from Little (10st, 11lbs, 5oz). Over six rounds, this encounter may have ended very differently. Little lost for the 31st time in 37 contests (two draws).

Jevgenijs Andrejevs entered the ring against towering Birmingham cruiserweight novice Shakan Pitters with “Lucky” emblazoned on his waistband. The beating he received suggests Latvians indulge in irony, too.

You do, however, have to admire someone who can play to the gallery by gurning and contemptuously placing hands on hips while being punched relentlessly.

The size difference – a good nine inches – at least brought comedy to the one-sided affair. Cheers and laughter echoed through the hall when the pair were called to ring centre to touch gloves: the scene brought back memories of 1988 movie Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.

Pitters (13st, 5lbs, 5oz) looked poised, polished and impressive, but had precious little to beat in Andrejevs, who lost for the 82nd time in 95 contests. The Latvian (13st, 11lbs, 5oz) deserves credit, however, for surviving four very painful rounds. Referee Messer scored 40-36. Pitters, now unbeaten in two, attacked his opponent’s torso like a lumberjack axing an oak, the thuds echoing around the room.

Andrejevs was hurt in the first and took stick throughout. He clung on to Pitters’ long body with the grim determination of a drowning man thrown a lifebuoy.

The only time the Eastern European made meaningful contact was when he offered to touch gloves with the giant before him – a gesture that followed almost every attack.

Birmingham’s tall light-middle Jack O’Keefe (10st, 13lbs, 4oz) got his career off to a winning start with a four-round points victory over Matthew Ashmole. Referee Messer scored 39-37. I had it wider.

Bearded O’Keefe stuck to the basics, keeping the Swansea fighter (also 10st, 13lb, 4oz) on the end of a broomstave jab before drilling right hands down the pipe. Ashmole showed more spite in the last, but it was too little, too late. Ashmole has won only one of 36 fights.

Battler Brett’s a super-fly in the ointment...

Jon Pegg (Image: Birmingham Mail)

Brett Fidoe certainly spoiled the party for fans of unbeaten 19-year-old Brad Foster.

Super-fly Foster, from Lichfield, is regarded as one of the country’s best prospects. He was unbeaten in six, has been signed by Frank Warren and sparred world champ Kal Yafai.

In contrast Fidoe, from Evesham, but based at Birmingham’s East Side gym, has lost 38 of 48 (three draws). The 26-year-old is a much, much better fighter than his patchy record suggests – as Foster found out after six tough rounds.

Referee Shaun Messer called the contest a draw, but there were plenty who thought Fidoe had done enough.

Fidoe (8st, 5lb, 7oz) shrugged off a cut over his left eye in the first to take the fight to Foster (8st, 5lbs, 7oz). It was a desperately close affair and Fidoe emerged from it with his reputation greatly enhanced.

Brad said afterwards: ”It wasn’t the result I wanted, it wasn’t my best performance and I didn’t feel 100 per cent in there. But it’s boxing and I did think I won it, it was a close fight.

“It is what it is. I’ll learn from it and I will be back. Losing the perfect record doesn’t mean anything or change anything. You’ve just got to learn from it and, at the end of the day, it’s not a loss.

“You have your hiccups in life and you have your hiccups in boxing. I’ve just got to learn from it and we will go again.”

Jon Pegg, boss of East Side gym, believed Fidoe had nicked it by a round.

“I’ve spoken to plenty of people who thought it was close, I’ve spoken to plenty of people who thought it was a draw, but I haven’t spoken to anyone who thought Foster won,’’ he said.

“Brett really trained for this one – that was the difference between this and past performance.”

And Pegg, a shrewd judge of the fight game, urged caution before bestowing on Foster the pressure of “champ-in-waiting” status.

“At the moment, he’s a talented, young fighter. I’ve got plenty of talented, young fighters in my gym – not all of them are going to make it.”